THE DOORS' "YES, THE RIVER KNOWS": LOVE, NATURE AND SUICIDE

 

Despite being included on the highly successful LP “Waiting for the Sun” (July 1968), The Doors' song "Yes, The River Knows" has long been confined to relative obscurity.

Its absence from concert setlists, coupled with its soft, muted atmosphere reminiscent of the delicate hues seen in Monet's paintings, have made this tune an underrated gem in the band's discography.

Composed entirely by Robby Krieger, this track represents a refined evolution of "You're Lost Little Girl", which was also written by the guitarist and released by The Doors the previous year (September 1967) on their masterpiece album, “Strange Days”.

In both cases, the verse unfolds evocatively as an introverted, poetic ballad and then transitions to a chorus that is simultaneously quiet and resolute.

However, the psychedelic shades of "You're Lost Little Girl" dissolves into the dreamy soft rock of "Yes, The River Knows", whose ethereal melancholy is dressed in a partly acoustic arrangement.

The latter is predominantly characterized by the piano, played with great sensitivity and touching creativity by Ray Manzarek.

The instrument's keys are played with expressiveness uncommon in rock, echoing the elegant, smooth, lyrical accents typical of Cool Jazz pianist John Lewis, a founding member of the Modern Jazz Quartet.

The piano part runs through the verse's flowing rhythmic attitude with an absorbed embroidery of notes, which is delicately outlined by John Densmore's brushes (used on his drum kit instead of the usual sticks).

Manzarek also skillfully brightens the melodic contours of the tune, enhancing its caressing intensity and evoking the vivid romanticism employed by Franz Schubert in his early 19^th century compositions for piano and voice.

It is precisely in this vein that the refrain of “Yes, The River Knows” is introduced. Its development is driven by the mournful, clear, and solemn cadence played by the left hand of The Doors' pianist, while figures rich in feeling are woven by his right hand.

Manzarek deserves credit for his decisive role in this song, which goes far beyond mere harmonic accompaniment to narrate, with the graceful yet incisive voice of his piano, the emotions contained in both the musical scores and the lyrics.

The structure designed by Robby Krieger for this tune is pleasantly linear: verse — chorus - middle eight — verse — solo — middle eight — chorus. However, it contains some interesting original touches, such as the abbreviated verse preceding the first middle eight (listen from min. 0:49 to min. 0:54).

“Yes, The River Knows” exhibits a passionate sound and conceptual parallel between the progression of music and vocals on one hand and the lyrics on the other.

In this way, notes and words follow the same path, merging to describe the river's flow: gentle and thoughtful as it crosses the verse, cautiously lively as it encounters the middle eight's hollows, more vigorous and decisive as it forms the chorus' shadowy toned waterfall.

Furthermore, Krieger's lyrics maintain the fascinating image of the river in a dual role throughout the song: as a messenger and as a backdrop that welcomes the story's unfolding into its magical depths.

Initially, the protagonist tries to hold on to his beloved ("The river told me / very softly / want you to hold me"), then bitterly resigns himself to the loss of love itself ("If you don't need me / I'm going but I need a little time"), and finally chooses a tragic end to escape suffering ("Breath underwater 'til the end").

In "Yes, The River Knows," the interplay of overlapping layers (symbols, emotions, words and music) is briefly interrupted by a solo shared between piano and electric guitar (listen from min. 1:26 to min. 1:50).

Here, Krieger's six strings dart softly between sharp-accented glissandos and bends, like flashes of light lazily reflecting off a river's surface immersed in the brushwood.

Meanwhile, Manzarek's piano engages in a languid conversation between space and movement that brightly expands to fill the intervals left in the solo by the guitar.

Jim Morrison's marvelous vocals complete the track's sorrowful poetry.

In the verse, his voice is persuasive yet burdened with the dejected abandon that characterizes a heart irremediably rejected.

In the middle eight, the voice sadly acknowledges its destiny of loneliness, expressing this painful state of mind through a kind of serene consternation.

In the chorus the singer embodies the dark, unshakable resolve which surrounds a suicide for love, tinging it with low tones and nuances of barely concealed despair.

Overall, Morrison's tone avoids emotional peaks, delving into the storyline with a memorable yet measured vocal performance. The protagonist's tormented love is not shouted but rather filtered through a refined dramatic performance.

The frontman seems to be reciting the song's lyrics on a theater stage, turning the microphone and the recording studio into live acting with his innate talent.

This expressive quality encapsulates the nostalgic and moving essence of the composition, which is vividly imprinted in the listener's imagination thanks to Morrison's eloquent delivery of the lyrics.

From the perspective of the rhythm section, Densmore's soft, vaguely jazzy drumbeats are impossible to overlook.

They transcend the predictable boundaries of a percussive line devoted solely to keeping time, appearing instead as an active contribution to the tune's melodies.

Session musician Doug Lubahn's electric bass stands out with its imaginative and unpredictable interventions, especially the dark glissandos that paint the second verse (listen at min. 1:08 and min. 1:15) and lends additional momentum to the final chorus (listen at min. 2:16).

Finally, it’s relevant to note that Krieger's electric guitar does not become audible until forty-two seconds into the tune and, except for the aforementioned solo, it is felt just as a light and discreet arpeggio in the background.

Despite being its creator, Krieger chose to play a secondary role in the arrangement of "Yes, The River Knows", wisely knowing the amazing sound shaped by the rest of the group did not require further additions.

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